NMC staffers among 5.4k fined Rs21.28L for Covid rule breach

Nagpur: The daily spiralling Covid infection cases have failed to deter many from violating Covid guidelines as is evident from the number of persons, including shopkeepers and NMC employees, penalized by the civic body’s nuisance detection squad (NDS).
Apart from penalizing people elsewhere in the city, the NDS has fined 140 persons, mostly NMC employees, at the civic body’s headquarters in Civil Lines for violating mandatory mask rule and recovered Rs28,000 fine.
In many areas, shopkeepers continue to flout the odd-even rule for which the NDS has recovered Rs13.02 lakh fine from 1,302 since the regulation was introduced on June 5. The NDS also penalized 4,131 people between April 15 and July 16 for not wearing mask and recovered Rs8.26 lakh fine.
The NMC is imposing Rs200 fine on people not wearing mask while going out, while Rs1,000 penalty is being levied on shopkeepers for not adhering the odd-even formula, introduced to avoid crowding in shops.
Shops under Dharampeth zone, which comprises market areas like Sitabuldi, Ramdaspeth, Dharampeth and Gokulpeth, are notorious to ignore the odd-even rule. As per NDS data, civic cops have penalized 288 shopkeepers for violating the odd-even and collected Rs2.88 lakh fine. The civic cops also recovered Rs91,200 fine from 456 people wandering outside without wearing face mask.
Under Mangalwari zone, the NDS has penalized 754 people for not wearing mask and collected Rs1.50 lakh fine. Under this zone, the NDS team also penalized 117 shops for violating the odd-even formula and recovered Rs1.17 lakh penalty.
The NDS team also collected Rs1.76 lakh fine from 176 shopkeepers in Gandhibagh zone, which comprises commercial areas like Gandhibagh, Mahal and Central Avenue. The civic cops caught 171 people roaming outside without mask and collected Rs34,200 fine.
NMC health officials have warned that if the violation of Covid-19 rules is not curbed, there is a higher possibility of spike in cases and the outbreak could be disastrous for Nagpur.
“We are at a critical stage and maintaining Covid distancing apart from necessary precautions like wearing mask while venturing out is essential,” mayor Sandip Joshi urged citizens. “If the guidelines are not followed strictly, NMC will be left with no choice but to re-impose complete lockdown,” warned the mayor.
Zones----------No Mask---Fine---Shops---Fine
Laxmi Nagar---334---28,000---63----63,000
Dharampeth---456---91,200---288----2.88 lakh
Hanuman Nagar---278---55,600----113---1.13 lakh
Dhantoli---734---1.46 lakh---163---1.63 lakh
Nehru Nagar----428---85,600---171---1.71 lakh
Gandhibagh----171---34,200---176---1.76 lakh
Satranjipura---217---43,400---93---93,000
Lakadganj---180---36,000---42---42,000
Ashi Nagar ----440---88,000---76---76,000
Mangalwari ---753---1.50 lakh---117---1.17 lakh
NMC HQ---140---28,000